For one person, living is cheaper in Wil: $3,084 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wil and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $3,084 per month in Wil vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.
Wil $3,084
Zurich $4,451
A couple spends around $4,617 per month in Wil vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.
Wil $4,617
Zurich $6,817
A family of three spends $6,150 per month in Wil vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.
Wil $6,150
Zurich $9,184
🙂
Wil is about 31% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Wil and Zurich sit above the global median – Wil by 128%, Zurich by 230%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.32CHF 24.14
$34.71CHF 28.59
-15.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$145CHF 119
$144CHF 119
0.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$23.90CHF 19.68
$17.69CHF 14.57
35.10%
Cappuccino
$6.09CHF 5.02
$6.91CHF 5.69
-11.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75CHF 4.73
$5.86CHF 4.83
-1.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.08CHF 4.18
$5.15CHF 4.24
-1.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.16CHF 7.55
$9.70CHF 7.99
-5.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.46CHF 5.32
$8.28CHF 6.82
-21.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.16CHF 1.78
$2.20CHF 1.81
-1.82%
White Bread(500g)
$4.18CHF 3.44
$3.78CHF 3.11
10.58%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.73CHF 3.07
$3.68CHF 3.03
1.36%
Eggs
$7.52CHF 6.19
$8.54CHF 7.03
-11.94%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$26.86CHF 22.12
$27.22CHF 22.42
-1.32%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$28.65CHF 23.59
$27.67CHF 22.79
3.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$41.13CHF 33.88
$61.7CHF 50.8
-33.31%
Apples(1kg)
$3.57CHF 2.94
$4.14CHF 3.41
-13.77%
Banana(1kg)
$2.00CHF 1.65
$2.68CHF 2.21
-25.37%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33CHF 1.92
$3.54CHF 2.91
-34.18%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.46CHF 4.50
$4.45CHF 3.67
22.70%
Potato(1kg)
$1.98CHF 1.63
$2.54CHF 2.09
-22.05%
Onion(1kg)
$2.06CHF 1.70
$2.21CHF 1.82
-6.79%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.34CHF 1.93
$2.52CHF 2.07
-7.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17CHF 0.97
$1.24CHF 1.02
-5.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.80CHF 8.90
$10.62CHF 8.75
1.69%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.28CHF 15.05
$13.83CHF 11.39
32.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12CHF 1.74
$2.66CHF 2.19
-20.30%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33CHF 1.92
$3.18CHF 2.62
-26.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Wil
Zurich
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.94CHF 3.25
$5.39CHF 4.44
-26.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$89.0CHF 73.3
$106CHF 87.2
-15.98%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.60CHF 5.44
$7.93CHF 6.54
-16.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$4.77CHF 3.93
$4.50CHF 3.71
6.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$36.34CHF 29.93
$89.4CHF 73.6
-59.36%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.23CHF 1.84
$2.28CHF 1.87
-2.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2KCHF 28.1K
$39.0KCHF 32.1K
-12.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3KCHF 32.4K
$39.5KCHF 32.6K
-0.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$271CHF 224
$276CHF 227
-1.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.31CHF 30.73
$36.80CHF 30.31
1.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.6CHF 44.98
$56.0CHF 46.10
-2.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$81.9CHF 67.4
$91.3CHF 75.2
-10.33%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$60.0CHF 49.43
-
Cinema Ticket
$26.59CHF 21.90
$24.81CHF 20.43
7.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,300CHF 1,894
$3,505CHF 2,887
-34.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$31.7KCHF 26.1K
$41.7KCHF 34.3K
-23.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$146CHF 120
$139CHF 115
5.14%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.5CHF 55.6
$58.3CHF 48.04
15.70%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$142CHF 117
$166CHF 137
-14.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$267CHF 220
$260CHF 214
2.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wil
Zurich
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,459CHF 1,202
$2,916CHF 2,402
-49.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,081CHF 891
$2,308CHF 1,901
-53.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,128CHF 1,753
$5,918CHF 4,874
-64.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,460CHF 1,202
$4,092CHF 3,370
-64.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$26.8KCHF 22.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$16.2KCHF 13.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,294CHF 3,536
$7,928CHF 6,529
-45.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
1.9
2.07
-8.21%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Wil: October 12, 2026
Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Wil
$1.1K 35.1%
Zurich
$2.3K 51.9% ↑ 113%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Wil
$607 19.7%
Zurich
$671 15.1% ↑ 10.5%$64
🍽Eating Out
Wil
$481 15.6%
Zurich
$523 11.7% ↑ 8.6%$41
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wil
$363 11.8%
Zurich
$369 8.3% ↑ 1.6%$5.6
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Wil
$280 9.1%
Zurich
$281 6.3% ↑ 0.1%$0.3
🚌Getting Around
Wil
$135 4.4%
Zurich
$158 3.6% ↑ 16.8%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Wil
$135 4.4%
Zurich
$141 3.2% ↑ 4.3%$5.9
🏠Accommodation & Living
Wil
$1.5K 23.7%
Zurich
$4.1K 44.6% ↑ 180%$2.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Wil
$1.4K 23.4%
Zurich
$1.6K 17.6% ↑ 12.4%$179
🍽Eating Out
Wil
$1.7K 27.3%
Zurich
$1.8K 19.4% ↑ 5.8%$97
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wil
$401 6.5%
Zurich
$406 4.4% ↑ 1.3%$5.1
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Wil
$623 10.1%
Zurich
$624 6.8% ↑ 0.1%$0.6
🚌Getting Around
Wil
$278 4.5%
Zurich
$327 3.6% ↑ 17.3%$48
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Wil
$270 * 4.4%
Zurich
$342 3.7% ↑ 26.6%$72
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $1,459 in Wil versus $2,916 in Zurich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 85% higher in Zurich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $145 in Wil versus $144 in Zurich. Groceries tell a different story – $607 in Wil vs $671 in Zurich – so Wil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Wil vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Wil and in Zurich compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,084 in Wil, $4,451 in Zurich – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Wil compared to Zurich?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,626 per month in Wil and $6,676 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Wil and Zurich?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Wil and in Zurich?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Wil. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Wil and Zurich?
Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Wil and $3,505 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,084 in Wil and $4,451 in Zurich. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Wil and Zurich?
It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,084 in Wil to $4,451 in Zurich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Wil or Zurich safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Wil and Zurich?
If budget matters most, go with Wil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.